20 African foods that missed the list...and you insisted MUST just be there

On reflection, there were some local delicacies we shouldn't have left out

Delicious African delicacies

Our “Africa’s 20 most popular foods” caused quite a stir on social media with many readers feeling certain foods were left out of the mix. While we
tried to keep the ranking centered on foods that are regionally or
cross-continentally popular, it fast became clear that the list was
particularly meat-heavy, and that there are some local delicacies that we just should not have left out.

So, after great deliberation over more African dishes and suggestions sent in, here are the 20 foods that missed the list:

1.
Matooke

We featured plantains on the original list, but our east African
friends did not recognise the name. Matooke is the name it’s given in the Great Lakes and eastern African region. They cook it differently from West Africa too
– here it is usually cooked and mashed or pounded into a meal and sometimes
steamed in banana leaves.

2. Bobotie

Pronounced ba-boor-tea, the national dish of South Africa
is a delicious mixture of spiced meat casserole topped with egg custard. Inside
you can find a few bay leaves, rich curry power, garlic, ginger, lemon juice,
raisins, almonds and even chutney.

3. Moin Moin or Moyi Moyi or Moi Moi

A traditional Nigerian food made with steamed ground beans and
spices. It is usually a mixture of
washed and peeled black-eyed peas, onions and fresh ground peppers. This is
then scooped into containers and steamed.

4. Egusi Soup

Enjoyed all over West Africa, but particularly by Nigerians,
Egusi soup has a basic preparation with slight regional variations. The thick
soup is made with the seeds of certain cucurbitaceous (gourd or melon) plants.
It also usually contains leaf vegetables (such as bitter leaf), chilly peppers
and meat or crayfish.

5. Sukuma Wiki

An affordable staple green, common in East Africa but most
popular in Kenya, sukuma wiki are
collard greens literally translated as “push the week”. They are usually thinly sliced and sautéed
with onions and tomatoes.

6. Sambusa, Samosa

Originally from the Middle East, introduced to India and
Pakistan before ending up on African shores, this fried or baked pastry is
widely known on the African continent. It has many variations but is usually
stuffed with a savoury filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas or ground
lamb or beef.

7. Harissa

Popular in the Maghrebian countries of Tunisia, Libya, Algeria
and Morocco, this hot chili pepper paste is made from roasted red peppers and
hot chili peppers and spices and herbs. The
paste is added to many recipes to enhance flavour.

8. Bol Renverse

Popular in the island nations of Madagascar and Mauritius, Bol Renverse is translated as “upside
down bowl”. A relic of Chinese immigrants, it consists of a fried egg popped
into a bowl, topped with stir-fried vegetables and meat and finally rice. The
dish is turned over revealing a dome-shaped three-layer dish.

9. Morogo

A group of African spinach (includes Lerotho, Thepe, Lephutsi,
Delele, Nawa) popular in southern Africa. They are usually served simply
shredded and sautéed though also commonly seen in fritters and stews.

10. Yassa

Yassa is a spicy marinated dish prepared with poultry or fish.
Originally from Senegal, yassa has become popular throughout West Africa. It is
usually made with chicken marinated overnight in a combination of spices, lemon
and mustard – this is then grilled and the marinate made into a sweet tart
sauce to go with the meat.

11. Oluwombo

A traditional delicacy in Uganda which uses a basic banana-leaf
cooking method that has been common across Africa for centuries. The meat
(typically beef) is steamed in the banana-leaf with various accompaniments
giving it a unique flavour.

12. Asida

Usually eaten by hand, this dough-type wheat porridge dish is
popular in northern Africa. It is made of wheat flour or whole-meal flour dough
cooked in water, and is eaten with honey or melted butter.

13. Fit Fit or Fir Fir

This Ethiopian and Eritrean breakfast dish is a combination of
shredded injera, berbere, onions, and clarified butter. In Eritrea leftover
sauces from meals are typically added.

14. Seychelles Bat Curry

This may not be a continentally popular dish, but it was too
unique to leave off. While some chickens are raised on the islands, all beef,
pork and lamb are flown in making the home-grown fruit bat an alternative
protein. The bat is cooked in a typical Seychellois coconut curry sauce.

15. Maafe

Originally from Mali, this groundnut stew is popular across West
and Central Africa. Recipes for the stew vary wildly, but commonly include a
form of meat, groundnuts, peanut butter, tomatoes, onion, garlic and leaf or
root vegetables.

16. Umngqusho

A Bantu dish popular in Central and Southern Africa, it has
several variations but it is typically made from slowly cooked sugar beans and
samp (crushed corn kernels).

17. Cachoupa or Manchup

Similar to the feijoada popular in Mozambique, this Cape Verdean
favourite is a slow cooked stew of corn, fish or meat and beans. It is often
referred to as the country’s national dish.

18. Boerewors

A type of sausage popular in South African cuisine, and now found
all over the continent. This spiral-shaped sausage is a popular barbeque meat
in South Africa. The name is derived from the Afrikaans words boer
(“farmer”) and wors (“sausage”).

19. Thiéboudienne or Benachin

A staple of Senegal’s Wolof people, it is a dish made of fresh fish,
aged smoked fish, rice and a savoury tomato sauce. It is well recognised in
Gambia and across West Africa.

20. Pepper Soup

A firm favourite in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone,
this hot and spicy soup has variations that include goat, catfish, ground
shrimp, thyme, chillies and bitterleaf.

•Does this settle the African foods debate? Comment below or write us at [email protected]